His blog has been around for years and yet there is only a pathetic bit of traffic to his site every month. He told me he loves writing reviews about the many different books he read on a weekly basis and he would love to share his reviews with like-minded people.
I told him he could try make use of social media to help him. The next day, after some research, I compiled and sent him a list of social media marketing tips and strategies that he can do to actively promote his blog.
I hope the list of tips below is out some help to you too if you are somewhat in the same shoe as my ex-colleague.
Stay Positive
Always remain positive when marketing via social media. People like to be around others and things that make them feel good. Bad mouthing others or making negative statements can lead to others viewing your product or service negatively. Be sure to keep this in mind on your personal page as well if you have one.
Always keep your cool when posting and replying on social media sites. There are people who will post on your social media pages with the intention of causing trouble. Maintain a professional attitude and just remove the posts. If they have a legitimate concern with your business, be respectful and always maintain a professional dialogue.
Demonstrate humility when posting on social media sites. No matter what the size of your company, if your posts come off as arrogant or boastful, your followers will let you know. Your customers and followers are what fuel your power, keep this in mind. Here are the cornerstones of success.
Have a End Goal in Mind
Have a list of goals you wish to achieve for a social media campaign. If you do not know what you hope to achieve with your campaign, you won't know when you have been successful. Are you looking for product awareness, concrete sales, or better customer service? When you can answer these questions, building a strategy is an easier step.
Be the Market Authority
To make your social media marketing campaign successfully market your brand, sell yourself as an industry authority. Instead of plugging your products, produce engaging content that entertains, educates and even inspires people. If you happen to create something that goes just a little viral due to the share button, your company name is getting out there.
In social media marketing anyone can become an expert. But, to do so you need to develop certain qualities. First, you must know your niche market inside and out. Also, you must be willing to be outspoken even if your comments and posts are somewhat controversial. So, if you are able to speak your mind freely in public and are willing to research your chosen niche, you can become an expert and succeed in your social media marketing efforts.
Have the Right Tools Available
To help your customers help you spread your content, make sure blog posts have the right buttons to get easily shared. You can add Facebook Like and Share buttons, as well as Linked share ability and the Retweet button for Twitter users. When you have engaging content your regular followers like, they will spread it around the internet, hopefully drawing more followers to you.
One of the advantages of social media marketing is that it allows others to advertise your products and services for you. To take full advantage of this, incorporate one-click links on your product and service web pages that enable visitors to like it on Facebook or tweet it on Twitter. It has been proven that recommendations made by friends are far more likely to convince potential customers to make purchases than most marketing tactics employed by businesses.
Create Sharable Post and Content
You can get your followers' attention by posting something in a format that makes reading easier. For instance, try coming with a list of top 10 tips or writing questions and answers. The visual aspect of your article will make it more appealing and your readers will be more likely to share it.
When you are using a blog for social media marketing, keep your readers interested. Keep your blog fresh with articles that educate your readers or inspire them in some way. Put effort into your blog, as it is the face of your business in that medium. The better your blog, the bigger your potential for success.
Always remember who your audience is in your social media marketing campaigns and what matters the most to them. You need to post content that is applicable to them and focus your efforts in ways that keep their attention. Your posts should be relevant and of high quality that your followers and fans do not just skip them over because they are not interested.
Do not post irrelevant and trivial posts on your social media profiles. Always keep your posts professional and relevant. No one cares that you got a new cell phone, or that you are standing in line at the movies. These trivial posts should be reserved for your own personal profile, not your business profile.
Know When to Post Updates
You should remain flexible with regard to the frequency with which your page is updated. If you have a new product coming out and plan on having a big advertising campaign, consumers will expect some sort of updates on a daily basis. However, if you are finding it troublesome to come up with good content to attract people, then you probably should update your status less frequently.
Time to Promote Discounts and Offers
Promote special offers via social networks. This will encourage your consumers to locate you on sites like Facebook, as they will look for the discounts you are offering there. Social media is a fantastic opportunity for customers to communicate with you and share your products and brands.
To help get your customers interested in your products, you should run promotions through social media marketing. Running promotions through this sort of marketing will keep your customers constantly informed of your products and also, keep your business on their minds. Social media promotions are a great way to spread the word about your business.
Leverage the Power of Video
Videos are a great content for your social media marketing. Demographics show that video is the largest and fastest growing online application. You can make your old articles and posts into video presentations using screen capture and presentation tools available on the web. Add them to your YouTube profile and link them to your social media pages.
YouTube has a huge and active user base and you need to be involved in it for successful social media marketing. Posting videos is a great way to get users involved, but you also have to be involved in the larger community as a whole. Posting comments and talking about other videos related to your industry will attract new users to your profile.
Have Consistent Branding
Branding your company is an essential facet of social media usage. Use the logo from your company for your profile picture. Keep the same color themes on all of your social media profiles. This will help your followers know and trust who they are following and listening to. Let branding work for you and remain consistent.
Be Fun and Humorous
Create humorous content when possible. Keep the humor appropriate, but use it when you can so that you can increase positive reader reaction. When people see unusual or humorous things on Facebook, it is likely they will share these things with their friends. You will get a lot of exposure this way.
Make Full Use of Holiday Seasons
The holidays may be a big time of the year, but don't use the opportunity in the wrong way. It isn't the best phase to test out new theories or gamble with a big risk. Stick to your proven guns and utilize them in a more customer-friendly manner. You will have all year to plan out a strategy for the next holiday season.
During specific holiday seasons, each social media site will have its own unique perks and rules that should be remembered. Find out how each platform differs from the other, and learn what competitors in your niche are preparing. Some basic holiday techniques can really give you the edge during those rushes and keep your profits rolling.
Have You Twitter Yet?
Twitter is a more demanding network because it requires constant communication with followers, but it is also the most recommended. Thank those that mention your name, and answer any questions they may have. This creates a stronger affiliation with all your followers. This will also help you to create a real identity, rather than just appear to be a screen name that sits behind a business.
Know Your Competitors Well
Monitor your competitors on social media sites. Spend a little time looking at what your top five competitors are doing out there in the social media world. Look at which social sites they are most active on, what kind of content they are publish, how many fans they have and how they promote their site and what they have to offer.
Know Where Your Audience Are
Find out where your customers are getting their social fix. You can leave yourself twisting in the wind if you start a social media campaign that reaches none of your target audience. You need to know if your customer base will be reading blogs, are tweeters or perhaps, they Facebook often. Research is the key to maximizing your efforts.
Do Not Under-estimate Power of Pictures
Try adding pictures to your social media site. People get a better understanding of a product when they can literally see it. And, when people understand your product, they are more likely to purchase it. You do not need to have too many pictures, just a few should do the job.
Post on Facebook
Whenever you post something on your blog or update your website, write a Facebook post right away. Perhaps you should plan ahead and write your post in advance so that you are not rushed to do it. Remember that people subscribed to your Facebook posts to be updated about what you are doing.
Poll is Your Social Media's Best Friend
Try using polls on your social media profiles to engage your customers and get them involved. People love to give their opinions and have their voice heard. A poll is a great way to get them to voice their opinions and give feedback on new products and ideas that are relevant to your company
With social media marketing, you will not have to worry all the time about how much money you are spending. Instead of focusing on losing your shirt, you can focus on posting exciting and informative content, including images, video and text. There are many social media websites that you can start utilizing. It is only a matter of time before you become established, and obtain a sizable and dedicated customer or reader base.
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